Descending Into Darkness
by DemonicAngelChild
Summary: After a chance meeting in the bookstore the life of Tessa Hunter is forever changed.
1. The Vampire and the Mortal Girl

_I could try and give you a reason for why I made her but they would all come up dry and none would sound even close to being acceptable. The truth of the matter was, was that I was lonely. I was unbearably lonely. I couldn't stand the company of those who I loved so dearly and immanently and so I fled far away from New Orleans to a small town called Saratoga which was in New York State. I was so sure that no one would find me there. That I could be safe and left alone to my thoughts. But all the same I was still desperately lonely. I longed for companionship of any kind but I couldn't yet stand to bare the company of those I loved and every mortal who I found was just like all the rest of the age. I couldn't stand it._

_I found peace however in a bookstore in Saratoga called Borders Books and Music and it became my safe haven. Everyone there knew me and they even saved books for me that they were sure I would loved to read. I went there every night I could. It was one of these such nights when I sat in the Borders café with a warm cup of tea—that of course I wouldn't drink but the warmth radiating from it was very enjoyable—and a book that I had just recently purchased called Abarat when she came to me for the first time._

_Oh if only we passed over each other and not noticed each other then her life wouldn't have been pulled out from under her feet by a dark haired monster. But as it were her life was ripped out from under her feet and the dark haired monster was me._

* * *

Night had fallen over the town of Saratoga and the lights of Borders bookstore had been cast aglow. People were bustling around inside looking for books to buy. In the café of the bookstore however there sat a man. He looked like any other man that one could see. He had a cup of tea which he held in his hand and he was focused deeply on the book that lay open in front of him. He had long straight black hair that cascaded in a glossy shimmer down his shoulders and the eyes that were fixed on the book were a beautiful emerald green. He really did look like any other man. But then if you were to look at him long enough you might notice that there were some things about him which made him seem not like your everyday man. His skin was as white as the snow that fell just outside of windows and his fingernails seemed to gleam in the light. But all in all unless you focused on these details he seemed like your average handsome man. But of course this was not what he was. His name was Louis de Pointe du Lac and he was a vampire.

Just then a girl came down the stairs that lead to the upstairs part of the bookstore. She was a normal young girl who appeared to the world around her no more then fourteen years old. Her light brown hair waved and curled a little past her shoulders and her eyes were dark brown with long dark lashes. When she reached the café she stopped at a table and her full pink lips smiled down at its inhabitant who looked up at her with dark brown eyes very much so like the girl's. Her name was Tessa Hunter and she had no idea that she was going to seal her fate that night. "Hey mom?" Tessa asked. Louis blinked once and then twice. A voice had just broken across his ears that had stirred him from his story realm.

"Yes?" Her mother asked.

"Can I get this?" Tessa asked holding up a book. Upon hearing the voice speak again Louis looked up just in time to see a girl hold up a book which had the title _Queen of the Damned _printed on it. He found that he couldn't take his eyes off the girl. She seemed to be light itself and she was beautiful. Her mother however shook her head.

"I don't want you reading Anne Rice Tessa," She said.

"Why not?" Tessa asked.

"Because she's too dark and mature for you," Her mother replied. "So put it back." Tessa sighed and turned and began to walk away. Louis didn't know what he was doing but he found himself raising upwards and walking after the girl. He followed her up the stairs and to a bookshelf there where she tucked the book sadly back where she had gotten it.

"You like Anne Rice," He asked before he could stop himself. Tessa jumped and turned to look at him.

"Yes," She said. "She's one of my favorite writers."

"Mine too," Louis said walking over to her. "She writes great stories don't you think?"

"Yes," Tessa smiled.

"What's your favorite one?" Louis asked.

"I don't know," Tessa said. "I haven't read the whole series yet. But I think that I like _Interview with the Vampire_,_ The Vampire Lestat_, _Blood and Gold_, _The Vampire Armand_, and _Blackwood Farm_ the best. What's your favorite?"

"_Interview with the Vampire _and _The Vampire Lestat_," Louis said. "If you love the books so much why doesn't your mother buy them for you?" When Tessa looked at him surprised he instantly apologized. "I overheard your conversation," He said. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to."

"It's alright," Tessa said. "My mom won't buy them for me because she thinks exactly what she said. She thinks that they're too dark and mature for me."

"Then how come you've read so many of the books?" Louis asked.

"My dad gets them for me and my friends let me borrow them," Tessa said. "I wanted to get _Queen of the Damned_ because I've never been able to read it but as you overheard my mom won't let me read it."

"Do you believe in vampires?" Louis asked.

"Yeah," Tessa said. "Do you?" Louis nodded.

"Your not afraid of them are you?" He asked. Tessa smiled.

"No," She said. "Unless they actually try to kill me but otherwise I know how to properly kill them so it's all good." Louis couldn't help it he found himself laughing at this and Tessa smiled at him. "Are you afraid of vampires?" She asked when he had stopped laughing.

"I'm afraid of some vampires of course," He said. "Like Akasha," He said tapping the spine of _Queen of the Damned_. "I wouldn't want to have to fight her."

"I'd be afraid to fight her too," Tessa said. "I'd be afraid to fight any vampire but I'd do it."

"Why?" Louis asked and he regretted the question as soon as it had passed his lips. "I'm sorry you don't have to answer that," He said. "Never mind—"

"Because I'm not ready to die yet," Tessa said.

"What?" Louis asked surprised.

"I'm not ready to die yet," Tessa said. They fell into an awkward silence. During the lapse of silence Louis fell into studying Tessa's face. As he was watching the lips turned up in a smile as the eyes looked up to meet his. "Are you OK?" She asked knowing that his eyes had been boring holes into her for the last few minutes.

"Yeah I'm fine," Louis lied. He was worried that if he stuck by her much longer that he would take her right here among the books...or do something worse. The feeling of hunger in him was for her but it didn't seem to be blood lust. He didn't want her that way of course however.

Luckily a voice rung out across the bookstore that made both of them look towards it.

"Tessa?!"

Tessa's mother was making her way around the upstairs. When she saw Tessa with Louis she sped up towards them. When she reached them she looked at Louis for a moment before turning her eyes to her daughter. "Tessa its time to go," She said. "We have to go meet everyone at the Ti Sushi Garden and we're already late. Come on."

"Bye," Tessa said before walking away with her mother. She could feel Louis boring holes into her back the whole way.

* * *

In Ti Sushi Garden as everyone around her was talking and laughing but Tessa. She was eating her sushi deep in thought. That man she had met in the Borders had seemed so familiar but she just couldn't place where she had seen him. "Tessa are you alright?" Her mother Kathy McNiece asked.

"Yeah I'm fine just thinking," Tessa said turning to look at her mother and giving her a smile.

"Who was that man you were talking to at the bookstore?" Kathy asked. Everyone was paying attention now.

"You were talking to someone in the bookstore?" Gracie asked.

"Yeah," Tessa said. "I was talking to him about the Anne Rice books."

"You shouldn't talk to strangers!" Kathy said. "He could have scooped you away right then!"

"I know," Tessa said.

"Then why did you talk to him?" Kathy asked.

"I don't know," Tessa said. "It was just a really nice conversation."

"Well you shouldn't do it," Kathy said.

"Yes mom," Tessa said.

"Do you know who he was?" Gracie asked. Tessa shook his head.

"I never got his name," She said.

"Did you give him your name?" Kathy asked.

"No mom," Tessa said. The conversation turned back to normal after that and soon the food arrived causing everyone to pick over what food they wanted. When everyone was settled and Tessa was taking a sip of her Diet Coke it suddenly came to her. "I can't believe it!" She said shocked. Everyone turned to look at her again.

"Can't believe what?" Kathy asked.

"Oh I just forgot my notebook at home that's all," Tessa lied.

"Well its not like you'd be able to write in the dark so don't worry," Kathy said and everyone turned back to their food.

"I know," Tessa said turning back to her own food. But she couldn't really concentrate on what was going on around her. No wonder why the man had seemed so familiar. She had read his book so many times she had lost count. He wasn't a man at all. He was the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac!

* * *

If you like it then please tell me so and I'll add more! 


	2. Blood and Popcorn

Thank you for the reviews! Please keep them coming!

* * *

The movie theater was buzzing with the voices of people all trying to buy tickets and get to their movies. Tessa and her stepsister Megan Barber where going to join the rest of their family who had already got their seats for the movie they were seeing which was _The Return_. Suddenly someone passing by walked straight into Tessa knocking her backwards and causing the popcorn she was holding to spill all over.

"Oh I'm so sorry."

Tessa looked up to match eyes with emerald green eyes. It was the same man that she had seen all those weeks ago in Borders. His eyes seemed to widen in realization as well. "You're the girl I met at Borders," He said. "Here let me help you up," He said sticking out his hand to her.

"Thanks," Tessa said taking his hand and pulling herself up easily. He seemed to pull her up himself so that she landed swiftly on her feet.

"I spilled your popcorn," The man said. "Please if you wouldn't mind could I buy another?"

"Oh that's really OK—" Tessa began but Megan cut in.

"Yes thank you," She said. The man reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it up and handed twenty dollars to Tessa.

"That should be enough," He said.

"Thank you," Tessa said.

"You're welcome," He said. "Goodbye."

"Bye," Tessa said as he walked away. She quickly made a trip to the snack bar to get another tub of popcorn and then Megan and her rushed into the room just as the previews had started.

"That was a cool movie," Tessa said.

"It wasn't really that scary," Megan said.

"I know," Tessa said. "Although I hated the things popping out all the time."

"Me too," Megan said. "Hey Tessa where's your purse?"

"Oh I must have forgotten it in there!" Tessa said.

"Quick go and get it," Her father Bryan Hunter said. "We'll meet you outside the movie theater." Tessa nodded and jogged back into the room. Finding her seat she found a man rummaging through her bag.

"Hey!" Tessa shouted making him jump and drop the bag. "That's mine!"

"No its not it's my girlfriend's," The man said.

"No its mine," Tessa said walking up to him. But just as she reached for the bag the man grabbed her wrist and pressed a blade to Tessa's left side.

"You're going to walk out of here with me," The man said. "Don't you dare scream or I'll stick this knife right in you do you understand?"

"Leave her alone."

The voice rang out clear and loud across the empty movie theater room. Both the man and Tessa turned to see the man that Tessa was sure was Louis de Pointe du Lac.

* * *

Louis had been unable to focus on the movie very well. His attention kept being drawn to Tessa. He hardly noticed when the film had ended he was too lost in thought to really care. He had still been sitting there lost in thought when Tessa had caught the man rummaging through her bag and he had stood up incase it got ugly. And it had.

The man sneered at Louis. "My daughter's just being a little disagreeable," The man said. He turned to Tessa. "Ain't that right sweetie?" He said.

"I'm not your daughter!" Tessa said angrily. The man scowled at her and pressed the knife closer to her side. Tessa winced and Louis knew that the blade was now pressed into her skin.

"Listen," The man said turning back to Louis, "just walk out of here and pretend that you never saw this or I'll kill the girl."

"Don't you dare," Louis said angrily.

"Why not?" The man said. "What are you gonna do about it? Huh?" Louis moved down from the top seats to the man's side so quickly that he wasn't even visible to the two mortals in the room. The man jumped when he found Louis on his other side. "What the hell?!" He said startled. Louis wrenched him back from Tessa and holding him looked up at Tessa.

"Take your bag and run," He said. Tessa quickly grabbed her bag and then looked at Louis.

"Thank you…Louis," Tessa said. Louis looked at her surprised and then said, "Your welcome. Now run." Tessa turned and ran and only when Louis knew she was safely out the door did he pull the man's head back to expose his neck and bite into his neck. The man cried out and fought against Louis hard cutting him desperately with the knife but the wounds healed all too quickly to do any real damage.

When the man was finished Louis went outside and moving back a sewer grate slipped him into the sewer. Then he moved the grate back and went back into the room. He then left it and went outside of the movie theater. There he found Tessa with the girl she had been earlier and another woman, a man, and a boy. Tessa came to him when she saw him and the others quickly followed her.

"Are you alright?" Louis asked her.

"Besides for a slight cut I'm fine," Tessa said. The man stepped forward to Louis.

"I'm Bryan Hunter, Tessa's father," He said. "Thank you for saving my daughter."

"You're welcome," Louis said. "I'm Louis de Pointe du Lac." He saw a flash of recognition in Tessa's eyes and knew she had recognized his name. They chatted for a bit longer before they took their leave of each other Bryan saying that they needed to go home now.

"Be there in a second!" Tessa called after her family as they walked to the car.

"OK but hurry up!" Megan called back.

"I will!" Tessa said. Then she turned back to Louis. "Did you kill him?" She asked in a hushed tone. Louis nodded.

"I slipped him down into the sewer," He said. "A proper ending for him I think." Tessa nodded.

"Thank you for saving my life," She said. "When I met you in Borders you seemed so familiar and then I guessed on who you were."

"You were right," Louis said, "but please don't tell anyone that you actually met me."

"Of course," Tessa said. "It was nice to meet you Louis."

"It was nice to meet you too Tessa," Louis smiled. Tessa smiled back at him.

"Goodbye," She said.

"Yes goodbye," He said and she turned and ran up to her family's car. He watched as the car sped out of sight reflecting on the strange feeling that that child always seemed able to dreg up.


	3. Monsieur de Lion

Tessa was once again in Borders bookstore and once again she was among the Anne Rice books this time flipping threw _The Tales of the Body Thief_.

"Do you like it?"

Tessa gave a small start at the voice and then looked up from the book. In front of her was a man. He had thick blond hair that waved and curled down to nearly touch his shoulders and the eyes that looked into hers were a memorizing gray. His skin was so pale that it reminded her of white marble. He seemed oddly familiar just like Louis had.

"I'm sorry," The man said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Its alright," Tessa said.

"So," The man said gesturing towards the book, "do you like it?" Tessa nodded. "Have you read the other books?" The man asked.

"Yes," Tessa said. "I've read mostly all of them." The man smiled.

"Did you like all of them?" He asked.

"Yes," Tessa said.

"I like them too," The man said. "They're some of my favorite books."

"Mine too," Tessa said. The man's smile widened.

"I'm glad," He said, "but I actually came over here to ask you another question then one about the books." He paused and looked directly into her eyes. "Do you know Louis de Pointe du Lac?" He asked. The question threw Tessa but she remembered what Louis had asked her to do.

"No," She said. The man sighed.

"I know your lying," He said. "Your mind betrays you my dear." Suddenly Tessa realized who this man was.

"Your Lestat de Lioncourt," She said. The man smiled.

"I knew you'd recognize me eventually," He said. "Don't worry though I won't hurt you. I just want to know where Louis is."

"I can't tell you," Tessa said. Lestat frowned.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because I don't know where he is," Tessa said.

"I told you that Louis wouldn't have become so close to her."

Tessa and Lestat both turned to see two people that Tessa instantly guessed were Marius de Romanus and Armand. Marius gave her a small smile. "Yes we are who you think," He said. Armand had been the one who had spoken and he was now looking at Tessa as well.

"How do you know Louis?" He asked.

"I met him here," Tessa said, "and then weeks later he saved me when somebody tried to kidnap me." Marius nodded.

"That sounds like Louis," He said. Lestat nodded agreeing with him.

"Thank you for helping us," He smiled at Tessa. "Perhaps we will meet again." And then they were gone as quickly as they had come.


	4. Invasion of the Vampires into Saratoga

Louis sat on his couch watching TV. It was some new documentary in the Discovery Channel but he wasn't really paying attention to it. His thoughts were elsewhere.

He was thinking about Tessa once again. Maybe he should try to see her again. She was so unlike so many of the mortals he had met around here.

But there was another factor playing into his longing to go to her as well. He was lonely. He wanted company and Tessa could give it to him.

But even as Louis thought these thoughts other thoughts would pop up to halt them.

He couldn't go to Tessa.

Tessa was interested in him already because of the Vampire Chronicles that she loved so much. He didn't want to go to her only to have her be seduced by his immortality and ask him to make her like him. He wouldn't be able to stand that. To condemn Tessa to a life like his was something that he couldn't stand.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that jolted him from his thoughts. He stood up and went to the door curious as to who was there. He didn't know anyone well enough to have them come and visit him.

He undid the chain lock and opened up the door to reveal the very people he had run away from. "Hello Louis," Marius said. "Mind if we come in?"

"How did you find me?" Louis asked.

"We'll explain inside," Armand said. Louis stepped aside from the door letting them all inside. Once they were all inside he closed the door and locking it again. He then turned and led them into the living room where he once again sat down on the couch allowing the others to sit down or stand around him.

"So how did you find me?" Louis asked again. Instantly his mind flashed to Tessa. But she had said that she wouldn't tell anyone that she had met him didn't she?

"Your friend Tessa Hunter," Lestat said. "I asked her if she had seen you and she said no but when I read her mind I found out the truth. She didn't know where you lived though. That we had to figure that out ourselves." Louis nodded. So Tessa had kept her promise.

"It took us quite sometime to find you," Armand said. "You certainly are hard to find when you want to be."

"When I want to be," Louis agreed.

"But why?" Lestat probed. "Why didn't you want to be found?" Louis sighed. This was going to be hard to explain.

"I wanted to get away," Louis confessed. "I loved all of you but it was just something that I had to do."

"So you just disappeared on us?" Marius said arching an eyebrow. "Leaving us to panic?"

"I left you a note," Louis said guiltily.

"Yes a note that left no mention of where you had gone," Armand said.

"If I had told you, you would have followed me here," Louis said.

"He has a good point," Lestat said. Armand shrugged.

"True," He said, "but you could have at least _called_ or something Louis."

"Sorry," Louis said. Armand sighed.

"It's alright," He said. "Just know that we're not going anywhere now."

"What?" Louis said.

"If you want to stay here then we're staying too," Lestat said. Louis groaned. He knew this would happen.

* * *

Both of these chapters are pretty short but I promise the one coming up is longer. 


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